Instructor:
Dr. Michael Pravica
Website:
http://www.physics.unlv.edu/~pravica
Office: BPB
136 Phone
(with Voice Mail): 895-1723
Office Hours: Mon
& Wed 11:00am – 12:00pm, or by
appointment.
E-mail: pravica@physics.unlv.edu, or michael.pravica@unlv.edu
Lecture: Mondays and Wednesdays 4:00pm – 5:15pm Location: BPB-247
Text: Mathematical Methods for Physicists 6th Ed.(ISBN: 0-12-059876-0),
by Arfken & Weber (Elsevier publishers 2005)
Content: We
will be covering various mathematical topics that are of great importance to
physicists. Such topics include vector
analysis, tensors, matrices and determinants, group theory, complex variables
(including contour integration), differential equations, and special
functions. The amount of detail will be
adjusted according to the interest of the class.
Expectations: It is expected in the very least that you will
be able to solve basic problems related to the material covered and understand
the fundamental concepts associated with this material to pass the course.
Grading:
25% Homework
25% Quizzes
25% Midterm Exam (Wednesday, October 21st,
2009)
25% All Inclusive Final Exam (Monday, December 7, 6:00 – 8:00pm)
Grading Scale:
90 → 100: A- → A+; 80 → 89: B-
→ B+; 70 → 79: C- → C+; 60 → 69: D- → D+; Below 60: F
DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY EXPECT A CURVE!
ATTENDANCE FOR THE FINAL EXAM AT THE SCHEDULED TIME IS
REQUIRED.
Attendance:
You are expected to attend all lecture and laboratory periods. You are
responsible for all assignments and announcements given in class. Missed exams will result in a grade of
zero. In the event of an extreme
emergency (e.g. hospitalization), make-up exams may be given only with the
written permission of the Chair of the Physics Department or the Dean of Arts
and Sciences. You may be asked to
provide written documentation to justify your request to make up material. For example, often an excuse such as “I had a
death in the family” is given for an absence.
If such is the case, then proof of death and proof of close family
relation must be supplied in order for the work to be made up. If you represent UNLV at any official
extracurricular activity, you shall have the opportunity to make up
assignments, but you must provide official written notification to the
instructor no less than one week prior to the missed class. A student missing a class or laboratory
assignment because of observance of a religious holiday shall have the
opportunity to make up missed work. The
student must notify the instructor of anticipated absences by the last day of
late registration (8/28/09). Students
who represent UNLV at any official extracurricular activity shall have the
opportunity to make up lost work but must provide written notification to the
instructor no less than one week prior to the missed class(es).
Homework: Homework
will be assigned weekly and due one week later. Physics cannot be mastered
without working out physics problems.
Don't be discouraged when the material initially seems unfamiliar or the
homeworks are difficult. You are not
expected to understand the material immediately. Your mastery of physics will
be a gradual process that will develop through diligent practice (i.e.,
homework). Hopefully, you will learn
that this is not an unpleasant but intellectually engaging experience. Although each homework assignment is
numerically worth the least in terms of your overall grade, it is the most
important part of your studies. You
should plan to spend an average of two hours on homework for every hour of
lecture. Although we will discuss homework problems occasionally in lecture,
questions on homework can always be raised with your instructor during his
office hours. Practice makes perfect!!
Exams: Each
student must be prepared to present a pictured ID if requested during an exam. The Final Exam will encompass ALL of the
material covered in the class.
Cheating: Any
person caught cheating on an exam will be dropped from the course. You are
permitted, and even encouraged, to work together discussing homework assignments
however, you are required to write up your homework alone. Blatant copying on
homework will be punished with a grade of zero for the work in question and may
result in further disciplinary action.
For those with disabilities: The
Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates all academic accommodations for
students with documented disabilities. If
you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need
to contact DRC for coordination in your academic accommodations. The DRC is located in the Student Services
Complex (SSC), Room 137. The phone is VOICE
702-895-0866, or TTY 702-895-0652, and FAX 702-895-0651. You may also visit their website at: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/.
Copyright violations: The University
requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves and
to follow copyright and fair use requirements.
You are individually and solely
responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. THE UNIVERSITY WILL NEITHER PROTECT NOR DEFEND
YOU NOR ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR EMPLOYEE OR STUDENT VIOLATIONS OF FAIR
USE LAWS. Violations of copyright laws
could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability,
as well as disciplinary action under University policies. The University encourages you to visit its
copyright web page: http://www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright/.
Final Note:
Physics has a reputation of being a difficult subject. However, you will see that it is not really
that bad! You will find that the
knowledge and problem solving skills that you learn here will be extremely
valuable no matter what career path you follow.
Therefore, don't be intimidated, try hard, and never be afraid to
ask questions. This syllabus may change as the
course progresses. The instructor will
provide advance notice if and when this happens.
Tentative Schedule:
Week 1 (8/24,
8/26) Chapter 1 Vector analysis
Week 2 (8/31,
9/2) Chapter
2 Vector analysis in
curved coordinates and tensors
Week 3 (9/9) Chapter 3 Determinants and matrices
Week 4
(9/14, 9/16) Chapter 3 Determinants and matrices
Week 5
(9/21, 9/23) Chapter 4 Group Theory
Week 6
(9/28, 9/30) Chapter 4 Group Theory
Week 7
(10/5, 10/7) Chapter 6 Functions of a Complex Variable I
Week 8
(10/12, 10/14) Chapter 7 Functions of a Complex Variable II
Week 9
(10/19, 10/21) Chapter 7 and Midterm Exam
Week 10
(10/26, 10/28) Chapter 9 Differential equations
Week 11
(11/2, 11/4) Chapters 9 Differential equations
Week 12
(11/9) Chapter 10 Sturm-Liouville
theory - orthogonal functions
Week 13
(11/16, 11/18) Chapter 11 Bessel functions
Week 14
(11/23, 11/25) Chapters 12 Legendre functions
Week 15 (11/30,
12/2) Chapters 13 More special functions
FINAL EXAM: Monday,
December 7 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.